Australia looks to Scotland for Induction expertise

Press release - 6 December 2006

The Australian government has asked the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) to help it set up a Teacher Induction Scheme.

As a result, the Chief Executive of the GTCS, Matthew MacIver, set off for Canberra today to meet with officials at the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training to pass on advice and information about the successful induction scheme in Scotland.

The request by the Australian government for support came after a report by the Standing Committee on Education and Vocational Training in the Australian House of Representatives. Its report entitled 'Top of the Class - Report on the inquiry into teacher education' recommended that:

"…the Teacher Induction Scheme administered by the General Teaching Council for Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Executive Education Department be the model of induction that should be followed in Australia."

Matthew MacIver said:

"I regard it as a great honour for the GTCS to be invited to the Australian capital to advise the government on setting up a Teacher Induction Scheme.

"There has been a lot of interest in Scottish education internationally in recent months and this is another example of the level of respect for our education system abroad.

"We should not only be proud of this fact but use international visits like this one to pick up ideas for developing our own system which despite its success can still be improved upon. I will certainly be doing this while using the opportunity to tell the Australian government how we manage the Teacher Induction Scheme in Scotland."

NOTES FOR NEWS EDITORS

For more information contact Martin Osler on 07739 185 522.